The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-04-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
iFrom our Regular Correspondent
WAsuINaroN. ID O.. hpril II. 1

Y
WASHINGTON. D. G., April IL, 1887.
During the Democratic administra.
ton many Of the musty regulations
with which Republican official life had
hedged itself in have been overhauled,
and where there was no good reason
for their existence, have been discon-
tiuued. They have not all been rele-
gated to the past, however. The rule
which closes the Government Depart.
ment buildings TO visit us at two
o'clock is sill in force, much to the
inconvenience of strangers.
1t is serious disappointment to Wis
itors here only for few days, and try
ing 10 get as much sightseeing as pos.
sible into that time, to Je shut out at
so early an hour from so many places
of interest. They feel, and have a
right to feel, that in peoples govern.
ment the peoples convenience ought
to be considered little, and that they
should be given what pleasure they
can get from the corridors, elevators,
museums, and curiosity rooms of the
buildings as long as they are open for
business.
Speaking of sightseeing in the De-
partments, often think how monot-
onous must be the duties of those of
ficials who are delegated to exhibit the
objects of interest to visitors. But
they show wonderful freshness about
the time-worn business. There is moth
ing perfunctory about the man who
exhibits the rogues' gallery, or the
piles of counterfeit money, or the Sc
cret service room, and only a person
who has party of friends to escort
there about once year can realize
how many times he has told the same
things over, yet always with an 1nfail-
ing brightness of expression and
quaintness of humor.
Senator Cockrels investigating COM
mittee (the Senate Select Committee
which is now probing the methods of
work in the different Executive De-
partments of the Government) has un-
dertaken a gigantic task, but it will
make an elaborate report of its labors
some time in the future. The Mis-
souri, Senator is very conscientious,
painstaking man, and he is giving the
public offices much annoyance and no
little uneasiness. He wants to know
you know and the number of things
the public don't know aud that Sena-
tor Cockrell will have great deal of
trouble in finding out, is astonishing.
The complaint is often made now that
there is too much "red tape" and that
the employees of the Government have
very few hours to work, and very little
work within those hours as compared
with persons employed in similar Ca
pacities by private business concerns.
But such annoying features are insep
arably connected with the theory OF
Government work. 1t must be put
through by processes as nearly me-
chanical as possible, so that tine dealh
or removal of clerk may not throw
an entire office out of gear, and so that
the dishonesty of any employe will be
discovered when the work on which
he practiced it is turned over 10 anoth-
er for the next stage of its process.
All this involves the reduction of
business to infinite detail and its dis
tribution among multitude of people.
If Senator Cockrel and his committee
can find way of simplifying these
processes their discovery will be
warmly welcomed. The results of
their labor cannot fail to be of value
and will certainly be of interest,
abounding in information which, to
the general public, is now in the nature
of sealed book.
The committee is not expected to
pass judgment upon the civil service
law, but incidentally the operations of
the law will come under the purview
of the committee, and the latter will
be expected to answer such questions
as that following. Is the Government
any better served--,he public business
more rapidly expedited, the morals or
the methods of the several Departments
in any respect the gainer-now that
what is called the "spoils system" has
been done away with ?
1t is a matter of no small import
ance. The people are told that the
civil service law, in its classified ap.
plication, is working wonders of re-
form, but they have only hearsay evi.
dence to that effect. They are assured
that it is doing away with a great deal
of favoritlsm, relieving the appointing
power of much embarrassment, purify
ing the channels Of patronage, and ell
evating the standard of clerical merit.
They are interested in knowing whether
civil service reform is really all that
its friends claim, or whether it is a
sham and humbug, as its enemies in
sist. Senator Cockrell's committee,
with so good an opportunity, could
find ont oil ahont IL